Power-transmission means and control therefor



)L R. RICKETTS.- PowENTRANsNlssloN MEANS AND CONTROL IHEREFOR.'

' APPLICATION FILED MAY?. 1917 J. R. RICKETTS.

POWER TRANSMISSION MEANS AND CONTROL IHEREFOR.

APPt-ICATION FILED MAY?. 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

in... @E IN To all whom t may concer/n.:

PATENT OFFICE. l

V'l'.AllVlliTlS R. RICKETTS, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

VIE0WER-TIRlANSvISSION MEANS AND CONTROL THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Application filed May 7, 1917. Serial No. 168,304.

VBe it known that I, JAMES R. Rioiiiirrs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Long Beach, inthe county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements inPower-Transmission Means and Control rherefor, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to means for applying powei' from a driving to adriven element, and particularly'to what is generally known in the artas a gearlessv transmission by means of which the application of powerto the driven element 'is accomplished through the frictional engagementof the driving Velement with the driven element.

lf am aware that the broad idea ofy applying the power throughfrictional .Contact of the driving and driven elements is oldand incommon use, but the present invention includes means for renderingftheapplication of power more direct andpositive, and for providing a moreelastic mechanism which may be capable Vof greater efciency and economythan other well known types of devices. l

The well known vform of friction drive transmission, such as isemployedon one or more types of modern motor vehicles, is composed cfa drivingelement .of substantially large diameter and having a smooth steellface, which is engaged by a relatively lwide rim on the drivenelement,the driven ele- `ment,.in such cases, operating in a plane atright angles to that 4of the driving element. The driven element isadapted to be moved longitueinally of itsaxis and transversely oftheanis of the driving element for varying thespeed and changing thedirection of rotation thereof, and it will be understood that points onthe face ofrthe'diiving elenient at different distances rfrom its axiswill rotate at different speeds, thus causing a slippage or wear on thefriction rim of the driven element and preventing the full power of thefriction to be exerted thereon. a

The primary object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide Yafrictional transmission driving means by means of which the differencein speed ofY different points on theface of the/driving element may becompensated for andra greater efficiency thus provided.V f

A further object is to providea driven element composed. of two Vor moredifferentially related friction elements for engagement with the face ofthe driving element, said elements being loosely mounted on a commonaxis and operable independently of and with a common centralelement onand movable with the same shaft.

A further object is to provide. means for moving Vone of thetransmission elements from an operative plane relative to the otherelement and into engagement therewith for regulating the application ofpower thereto.

A further object is to provide means for locking the driving and drivenelements in operative relation, at will, and means connected therewithfor releasing said elements partially or wholly, as may be necessary.

A further object is to provide means for holding the transmissionelements in a normal degree of engagement without any attention of theoperator and means for changing the relation of said elements so as toincrease the friction therebetween at times when such action may benecessary to care for a load above the normal. Other objects will appearlas the description progresses.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the differentialdriven element of my invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of the same. Fig. 3 isa plan of a portion of an automobile'frame showing the application of my device toa vehicle of thischaracter. Fig. Ll is an elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a section ofthe driven shaft and operating means for the driven element thereon.Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the toggle control bars.Fig. 7 is a side elevation of Vthe rear portion of the toggle bars.Fig'. 8.

is a similar view of the forward ends oft-lie same and th clutch lever.Fig. 9 is a plan Vof the toggle locking device. Fig. l0 is a section ofthe foot board of the vehicle showing Athe locking device for theoperating lever. Fig. ll. is a plan of the lock therefor.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the specifications andthroughout the several views ofthe drawings for indicating the same orlike parts.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4:, l

vand 2 represent, respectively, the longitudinal frame members ofa wellknown type of motor vehicle, to which, vfor purposes of illustration, myinvention is shown applied; 3 is a transverse member of the frameconnected with members l and 2 near the rear end of the vehicle, l is ashifting lever pivand slidable at the other end in a guide piece Vio Yframe. Y

5 attached to member 27 the central portion of the lever having acircular enlargementr vwith an opening therethrough toreceive ashiftcollar 7 keyed to the engine draft shaft Y 8 on which is mounted atthe end the driv- A represents the driven element which is composed'oftwo or more differentially related friction Ywheels 10 and 11 mountedonH atransverse driven shaft 12 :supportedV at the Vends on the members1 and 2 of the frame and adapted to frictionally engage the rear taceofthe driving disk 9. 13is acsliitterj having the form of a bell crank,the arm 14 Yoi which is pivotally connected with a suit- Y able shiftcollar 15 on shaft 12 for moving the driven element A longitudinally'ofshaft V12 and the shifter being pivotally supported fat the junction ofarms 14 and 16 on a pinV Vor screw 17 attached to member 3eof the H 18v`is aY transversely Vdisposed Yshiftfrod which is supported on members1 and2 of the frame, or otherwise' and` carries a main shift lever 19extending upwardly intok the body of the vehicle and an arm 2O which isconnected with arm 16 ofbell crank 13 by Y means of a rod 21, thus themovement lof the shift lever 19 bythe operator will effectVthetransverse movement of the driven element A over the face ofthedriving disk9,

and it will be understood that such move i' Vment of the elementA willvary fthe speed thereof according to the extent of movement.

' When element A occupies the position shown in Fig. 3 a maximum speedwill be provided therefor andas thel element is i Y moved toward thecenter of disk 9 the speed will be gradually decreased until the centerVvof the' diskl is reached. A movement of the l drivenv element over thecenter of disk 9 willyo course change the direction of rotation of thiselement and rreverse the movementV of the' vehicle correspondingly. i

22 is a brakeoperating pedal. for the vehicle, Vvthe connections withthe brake drums being omittedj and23 is the main clutch operating pedalfor moving the disk V9 .intoengagement with the driven element A. Pedalis mounted on arlever 24 pivotally supported on a` short transverseshaft 25 supported at the ends in bearings attached to or formed on themember 2 of the frame and a suitable. bracketY 26 attached to the lowerside of the vvehicle hoor 27,7on

l which shaftthe braker pedal lever may Valso be pivoted. e Y

' The yconnection Y Y lever 24 andthe shift lever 4 consists oa pair ofsubstantially liorizontalbars 28`pivotallysupported at the forwardend onshaft 25j-to which bars are pivotally attached at i ypoints near shaft2' and leverr4, respec tively,r.bars 29 and 30 whichare commonly betweenthe operating Y "connected at'their adjacent ends to averticallyslidablebar 31, the end of bar 29 adj acentvshaft v25 '.being'pivotallyfixed to bars 2S and -extendethas Vats32, substantially aboveits'ieulcrui'n point, and the opposite 'end of bar 30 being providedwith aslot 33 in whichthe pin 34 attached. to bars 28 is adapted .tomove7 for purposes hereinafter described. The extremity or" bar 30 ispivotallv attached to an adjusting screw or bolt .34 which is held inasleeve pivoted to lever i. attached tofarodr40 which is connected withthe' forwardendof a locking'plate 41 for vertical bar 31, a slot `42being provided'in .the plate 41 to receive .the bar 31a-nd the platebeing supported in suitable straps 43 attached tothe lower side of thefloor of the vehicle.

Y Therearendlofgplate 41 is connected witlia spring 44 Vwhichjisattached at its opposite end to a pin 45 extending Y downwardly fromtheiioor kand the spring serves to hold the plate 41V normally to therearward extreme of its movement.

e A shoulder 46 is ormedon verticalbar 31 which is adapted to engage thelower side of plate'41 at the forward end of the slot Y42 Vwhen the headY470i the bar is depressed by the operatorfor lowering the toggle bars29 and 30 into a common .horizontal plane for Vproviding a maximumYfriction between the drivingand driven elements, as will herein-V afterappear..Y j Y l e Y e The drivenelementY A,comprises wheels 10 and 11which Yhave 'demountableand replaceable friction rims V48,'oi`fwoodfiber or Vsimilarsubstance, which Vare held. thereon by means of bolts49 eXtendingVthroug-h the Vwheel flanges 50 andinner removable plates orrings 51 and 52, as the vcase may be. The inner portions of the VwheelsVhave substantially enlarged'solidwebs 53Y and fhubs 54 extendingoutwardly therefrom, the inner portionsof the wheels being connectedwith the rims by means of suitable spokes. The two wheels Vare preventedfrom aXial move- Ament relative to .each other by lmeans of a Ypluralityof bolts 55 provided with annular grooves -56 which are adapted toengage the inner peripliery'oi ring 51 of wheel 1() and kthe ends ofthebolts are threaded vinto or eX- tended through the spokes of thewheel 11 yand*heldthereon by means'ofnuts 57.` In

lieu ofthe bolts setscre'ws 58,7 as Yshown iin,l*`ig.;2,v may beprovided for holding the Vwheels in proper Yrelation the inner vends ofthe screws,'insiich ease7 engaging annular grooves in the member onwhich the hubs of the wheels is mounted.

' Within the housing of the wheels 10 and 11 I provide a gear case 59which is composed of two similar and separable members attached togetherat a plurality of points kby means of bolts 60 extending through lugs61. Bevel gears 62 and 63 are housed in the case 59 in contact with theinner ends thereof and have hubs 64 and 65, respectively, which areextended through opposite openings 66 and 67 in the ends of the gearcase. Between the gears 62 and 63 a spider 68 is mounted on thetransverse driven shaft 12 and is keyed to this shaft by means of a key70 having elongated ends flush with the periphery of and seated in asuitable keyway in the shaft. Stems 71 are integrally formed on thespider 68 at a plurality of points and extend radially from the axisrthereof and carry bevel pinions 72 thereon which rest against the innershoulders 73 of the stems and Ymesh with the larger gears 62 and 63.

The hubs 64 and 65, respectively of gears 62 and 63 are rotativelyconnected with the wheels 10 and 11 by means of suitable keys 74 and hub64 is substantially elongated and reduced at the end 75 to receive ashift collar 15 which may be rotatively connected with the gear hub bymeans of pins or screws 76, or' otherwise, an annular groove 7 7 beingformed in the collar 15 which is engaged by a split collar 7 8ppivotallyattached at diametrically opposite points to yoke'7 9 of shift lever 13which serves to move the wheels 10 and 11 longitudinally of shaft 12, asstated.

IVhen the wheels 10 and 11 of driven elementi-I are in frictionalengagement with driving element 9, gears 62 and 63 will be rotated onbut not with shaft' 12 necessarily, and- `at slightly different speedsbecause of the different positions of the wheels 10 vand 11 on the disk9. Pinions 72 on spider 68 will rotate in such event slightly and to anextent corresponding to the difference in speed between wheels 10 and11, these pinions, at the same time, being rotated, together with thespider 68 about the shaft 12 and thus rotating .shaft 12correspondingly. The outer surfaces of the pinions are preferably curvedto conform to the inner rib 8O formed on the interior of the gear caseso that they may thus be held in proper position on the stems and inproper mesh with gears 62 and 63.

From the above description it will be noted that the wheels 10 and 11differentiate with respect to each other during their rotation and oneof the wheels will always rotate at aV slower speed than the other, thusproducing a planetary movement of the pinions as well as a rotarymovement on their individual axes. Such action prevents undue wear onthe relatively narrow frictional rims of the wheels and renders theoperation thereof economical and more efficient than a single wheel witha relatively wide rim such as heretofore used on vehicles of thischaracter. 1

In ordinary differentials such as are used on the rear axles of motorvehicles, it is to be understood, that the gears of the set are keyed onseparate shafts in axial alinement and the pinions are mounted looselyon the shaft; while in my device, the reverse is true, the gears 62 and63 being loose on the shaft 12 and the spider carrying the pinions istight thereon. This difference is essential to the successful operationof my device, for only a single driven shaft is provided, whereas inother types of differentials independent shafts are employed for each ofthe rear wheels.

In operation, the disk 9 is adapted to be normally held in engagementwith the wheels 10 and 11 by means of a spring 81 carried on the lowerend of vertical bar 31 and adapted to compress between the bars 28 andthe head 82 adjustably carried on bar 31, and when so `held, the togglebars 29 and 30 will occupy planes almost but not quite in horizontalalinement, the tension of spring 81 serving to maintain such relationsbetween these ele ments. Vertical bar 31 under such conditions, will bealmost completely depressed so that the shoulder thereon will almost butnot quite extend below the lower side of the locking plate 41 and clutchoperating pedal 23 will be extended inwardly from the vehicle footboard.

In the operation of the vehicle, when a steep hill is reached or anincreased effort is required on the part of the motor, bar 31 may bedepressed by the foot of the operator until the shoulder 46 thereonengages the lower side of plate 41, thus alining the bars 29 and 30 ofthe toggle oint horizontally and locking them in such -position forcreating a maximum friction between disk 9 and wheels 10 and 11. Thesliding connection between link 37 and arm 32 of bar 29 consisting ofpin 39 and slot 38, permits the release of bar 31 from plate 41 by aslight pressure on pedal 23 of lever 24. y

The movement forward of lever 24 and pedal 23, as in the case of otherforms of transmission clutches, Yserves to disengage the disk 9from-wheels 10 and 11 by means of the connection of link 37 with arm 32of bar 29 and arm 36 of lever 24. It will be observed that in this form`of device, it will be necessary to lockthelever 24 in its lowermostposition' when the engine or motor is started, and for this purpose Iprovide a locking plate 83 slidably held on the lower side `of thevehicle foot board in straps 84. A slot 85 is formed in this platethrough which lever 24 operates and a shoulder 86 is formed on the upperend of the lever which is adapted to engage the lower side of the plate,as in the case of bar 31 and plate 41.

'A heel 'lever 87 is p'ivotally supported on the Aupper side of thefootV board which is conis depressed, the lower arm thereof will moveVthe p-late'SS upwardly foi` releasing the lever.

A springl 89 is provided for action against heel lever 87 so las tonormally hold the lever 23 locked .against action.

The-locking plate 83, in addition to locking the lever 23 against actionlwhen the engine is started` Vmay beused for'holding the disk 9 out ofengagement with the'fric'- tion wheels 10 and 11 at any time when it isdesired to stop the vehicle without-*stopping the engine, and it will beobserved that with the Vprovision of locking plates l ll-and 83,: thefriction elements may be locked at both extremes of action, namely, inand out of engagement with each other, thus affording positive action inthe one case and positive disengagement inthe other.

While I have Vshown my improved transmission inechanism as applied to amodern type of motor vehicle for illustrating the Yvaluable featuresthereof, it must be understood that the same may be applied with anequal degree of efliciency t0 other forms of machinery, andin suchvcase, it may be necessary to `modify the controlling devices t'o meetpeculiar'conditions obtaining at the p lac'e Yof installation anddepending upon the character of the machinery to which the improvementsmay beapplied.

`Havi1'1g'- thus described my invention, what Iclaini asnew and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isf

l. In a'tr'ansmis'sio-n mechanism, a driven VAshaft, a *plurality ofdriven elements concentr'ically on and for rotating said shaft,differential gearing connecting said driven elements, andmeans forholding said driven elements in' abutting positions for inclosing saidgearing.

f 2. In a transmission mechanism, a driven shaft, a plurality l ofdriven elements adapted 'to rotate said shaft, differential gearingVoperably connecting said driven elements" with leach otherY and withsaidl driving shaft, and means intermediate said'V driven elements formaintaining said driven elements together, for inclosing said gear- In atransmission mechanism, a driven jshaft, va plurality of driven elements-operably held thereon, differential gearing con- Ysaid annularmember'for maintaining Vsaid elements in closed relation. 4. vIn atransmission mechanism,- a driven shaft, a plurality of driven'elements'ro- Ytatable thereon, dilferential gearing operably connecting saiddriven elements with said shaft, a housing inclosing said gearing,and'means whereby said driven elements may be held together for formingan outer housing around said gearing housing.

5. A transmission device including in combination, a Ydriving element, adriven element operable thereby, primaryand secondary members forengagement with and disengagement from said driving element, and atoggle connection between said primary and secondary members foroperating said secondary member.

6. A transmission device including in combination, adrivinU element, aVdriven element operable thereb primary and secondary means forregulating the engagement between said'VV driving and driven elements,-a toggle connection between said primary and secondary operating means,and meansfor locking said connection for positively engaging saidelements.

7 A transmission device having in combination, a driving element and adriven ele- `ment, primary andv secondary control means for the drivingelement, toggle bars intermediate of and connecting said controlmembers, and means for locking saidbars in alinement for maintaining apositive engagement'between said ,driving and driven Y elements. f Y

8. A transmission device having in combination, a driving element and aVdriven element, control means for said driving element, toggle vbarsconnected with said control means for normally maintaining said elementsin resilient engagement, and means connected with said toggle bars forlocking saidelements in positive engagement. 9. A transmission devicehaving' in combination,- `a driving and a driven element, control meansfor regulating the engagement therebetween, a toggle connection withsaid control means, means for normally maintaining said toggle inapproximate alinement and said elements in yieldable engagement, andmeans connected with said toggle for lockingY said toggle in positivealinement and said elements in engagement, at will.

10.V In a transmission device, the combination of a driving element, adriven element for engagement therewith, means for moving one of saidelements into and from engagement with the other including'a toggleconnection comprising bars pivotedtogether for action, means forresiliently holding said bars in approximate alinement, and means formoving said bars into alinement and for positively lockingthe same forproviding a maximum engagement between said elements. Y

11. In atransmission device, the combination of a driving element, adriven element Capable of rotation thereby, primary and secondarycontrol means for regulating the engagement of said elements, togglebars intermediate of said primary and secondary control means, means forholding said toggle bars yieldably in approximate alinement, and meansfor moving said bars into alinement and for positively locking the same.

l2. In a transmission device, the combination of a driving element, adriven element capable of rotation thereby, primary and secondaryoperating means for regulating the engagement of said elements, togglebars intermediate of said primary and secondary operating means andvconnected Y therewith, means for yieldably holding said bars inapproximate alinement, means for locking said bars in positivealinement, and means for locking said operating means against action formaintaining the disengagement of said elements.

18. In a transmission mechanism, a driving shaft, a driven shaftsupported at right angles to said driving shaft, differential gearingoperably carried on said driven shaft, a lplurality of rotatableelements operably connected with said differential gearing and adaptedto be engaged and disengaged at will relative to said driven shaft, ahousing inclosed by said rotatable elements for inclosing saiddifferential gearing, and means for holding said rotatable elementstogether, as set forth.

14. In a transmission gearing comprising a yieldably supported drivingelement, a plurality of differentially related driven elements movablysupported in a plane parallel to the face of said driving element, meansfor moving said driving element into operative engagement with saiddriven elements, and a toggle locking device for positively locking saidelements together for operation.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, this 13th day of April, 1917.

JAMES R. nioKETrs.

Witnesses:

C. J. WELLS. JAS. BRUNKEN.

